1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for avoiding the accumulation of frost, ice, or snow on automobile windshields, and more specifically relates to windshield covers adapted to be semi-permanently attachable over the windshield of an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, as has been indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,608 to Duffy, various devices have been employed to avoid the accumulation of ice or snow frozen on windshields of automobiles. Specifically, at least two types of attachable covers have been used to serve as a shield for the windshield while the car is in a parked position. One of these prior types of covers included elastic straps having U-shaped hooks attachable to the body of the automobile. Another of these prior art covers is utilized in association with magnetic strips that magnetically clamp the cover to the automobile body.
Both of the above prior art devices suffer from two major deficiencies. Firstly, they are totally acessible to persons who may desire to steal them and, therefore, are highly subject to theft. Secondly, and more importantly, neither of these devices can be installed in rapid fashion to fit tautly on the windshield with little effort or thought to their installation. The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of prior art devices by providing an improved windshield cover that can be quickly and conveniently installed to fit snugly on a windshield and is semi-permanently held in place unless the car doors of the automobile on which it is installed are opened.
The present invention is also an improvement over the automobile windshield cover in U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,688, and the inventions in the following U.S. patents which were discovered in a patentability investigation: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,202,396 to Levy; 3,874,437 to Black; 4,635,993 to Hooper et al.; 4,708,388 to Zachorezuk; and 4,652,039 to Richards.